This invention relates in general to overhead entertainment systems for vehicles, and in particular to a hinge assembly for a pivoting video monitor.
Many passenger vehicles now include overhead consoles mounted on the interior roof of the vehicle. Typically, the overhead console is mounted about the central longitudinal axis of the roof and positioned above the front passenger seating area. The overhead consoles can include a variety of compartments and components. For example, overhead consoles can include customized storage compartments for sunglasses, garage door openers, and coins. It is also known to provide various components such as lights, universal transceivers for garage door openers and security systems, computer displays for temperature, compass, trip and mileage readings, and conversational rear view mirrors.
It is also known to mount entertainment systems within an overhead console. Commonly, these entertainment systems include a relatively flat video display or monitor which is connected to a video transmitter device for displaying the video image. The video transmitter device can be a video cassette recorder/player (VCR), a digital video disc recorder/player (DVD), electronic game module, and/or a television tuner. Commonly, the monitor is pivotally mounted on the overhead console and is movable between a generally horizontal storage position flush against a bottom surface or recess of the console to a generally vertical or angled deployed viewing position. Conventional hinge mechanisms often do not adequately support the monitor at a desired viewing deployed position such that over time the monitor well move from its desired deployed position, either due to gravity of vibrational forces.